Document: Answer of Adriaen Jansen Appel to the complaint of the fiscal

Adriaen Jansz

Appel van Leyden To the honorable highly esteemed Detainee and defendant lords, director general and high against councilors of New Netherland The lord fiscal, prosecutor

Regarding the complaint of the lord fiscal, the defendant responds that the truth is such that he never, ever [ ] against your honors’ placards, but while living under the [ ] Rensselaerswijck he [ ] from the court there, which he, defendant Pieter Adriansz [ ] obliged to [ ] to give permission to measure his wine and beer, which he was selling in the aforesaid jurisdiction and to pay the claimed excise, nor to appear on the executed citation and summons of the lord fiscal and notification of the commies Johan de Deckere; therefore the lord fiscal must realize that if an error might have been committed, it was not done by the defendant but by those of the court with whom the defendant was not complicit, but was following the orders of his superiors there; therefore, concluding that the lord plaintiff’s claim and decision against the defendant, done and taken arbitrarily and pecuniarily, be rejected, and he, the defendant, be released from confinement. Your honors’ obedient servant (was signed) A. Appel.

After deliberation it was recommended as follows: This matter shall be placed in the hands of the fiscal De Sille to retort thereon. Done at Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, 31 July 1656.